Calf-weaner



(No Model.) f

F. S. ALBRIGHT.

y CALI' WEANER.

No. 556,236. Patented Mar. 10, 1896.'

Ff www@ @y Z13 @Aifmgeys UNITED STATES PATENT UFFICE.

FRANK S. ALBRIGHT, OF CHADRON, NEBRASKA.

CALF-WEAN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,236, dated March 10, 1896.

AppIigatiou filed December 22, 1893. Serial No. 494,497. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK S. ALBRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chadron, in the county of Dawes and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and Improved Calf and Cow Weaner, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to weaning-muzzles, and has for its object to improve the construction of calf-weaners by providing a simple, inexpensive and durable device adaptedto be quickly applied to and removed from the nose of an animal, and to provide such a device as will cause an animal no inconvenience and which will not interfere with the ability of the animal to graze, eat or drink.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same applied to the head of an animal and raised until limited by the guard. Fig. 3 is a transverse section to show means for locking the holding-pins. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the body of the muzzle is formed.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The body portion of the muzzle consists of a flat plate l, lateral rearwardly-extending flanges or cheek portions 2, aligned guidesleeves 3, and sockets Il, all struck from a single sheet of metal, the blank being shown in detail in Fig. 4. The center of the plate is cut away from its upper edge downward, as shown at 5, to form an opening for the nose `of the animal, and the narrow strips or ears of metal, as shown at 6 in Fig. 4, are rolled downward to form the transversely-aligned guide-sleeves 3. The extensions 2 of the lateral flanges 2 remain in alignment with the flanges and extend upward at the sides of the animals muzzle. The sockets 4: are upstruck to receive the lower ends of the spring catch-arms 7, in which said arms are soldered, intermediate portions of the catch-arms operating in perpendicular guide-loops 8 and being normally held parallel and in contact with the main plate. The upper extremities of the catch-arms are bent to form pins 9 perpendicular to the plane of the plate and operating through openings 10 formed in the outer sides of the guide-sleeves.

Mounted to slide in the guide-sleeves are holding-pins 1l having rounded inner extremities to enter the nostrils and bear against opposite sides of the interposed cartilage of the nose of the animal, whereby the muzzle is suspended and adapted to swing forwardly and rearwardly upon the nose. The holdin gpins are secured at the desired adjustment to suit the thickness of this cartilage by means of said catch-arms, each of which engages one of a series of sockets or perforations 12 in the holding-pins.

The lower end of the opening 5 below the horizontal planeof the holding-pins is spanned by an arched guard 13, tapered toward its lower end and open at bothits upper and lower ends to extend over the nose of the animal. The upward swinging movement of the muzzle is limited by the contact of the upper beaded edge 15 of said arched guardwith the nose of the animal, and the downward swinging movement thereof is limited by a transverse stop-rod 16 which is arranged between the perpendicular side llanges 2, said transverse bearing being provided with upwardlyextending arms 17, which are secured to the inner surfaces of the said flanges 2 and their extensions 2, The rod 16 prevents the edge of the plate l, by which the lower end of the opening 5 is bounded, from coming in contact with the mouth or nose of the animal, and

hence prevents the injury which would result from the contact with a sharp edge.

The open lower end of the arched guard 13 facilitates the passage of water while the animal is drinking without preventing the nose of the animal from being projected above the plane of the plate, the exterior surface of said guard being preferably provided with spurs 1S, and the side flanges 2 with their extensions 2 cover the sides of the animals mouth, and are also preferably provided with spurs 19. These spurs are short and may be made of brads inserted through openings in the arch and flanges with their heads secured in contact with the inner surfaces thereof by means of solder or its equivalent.

lnclined braces 20 extend from the inner ends of the guide-sleeves 3 to the inner surfaces of the flanges to prevent the downward bending of the former and the inward bending of the lat-ter.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this in vention.

llavin g described my invention, what I Claim iS- l. A weaning-muzzle having a main plate provided with rearwardly-extending 'fianges or cheek portions, said main plate beingprovided with a centra-l longitudinal opening for the reception of the nose of an animal, transversely aligned adjustable holding pins mounted upon the main plate to engage the cartilage of the nose of an animal, means for securing said holding-pins at the desired adjustment, and an arched guard spanning the lower portion of said opening below the plane of the holding-pins and adapted to cover the upper side of the nose of the animal and limit the upward swinging movement of the muzzlc, the lower end of said guard being open, substantially as specified.

2. A weaning-muzzle havin g a flat main plate provided with rearwardly-extending cheek portions or flan ges, the main plate being cut away to form a central longitudinal opening for the reception of the nose of an animal, tranverse aligned adj ustableholdin gpins mounted upon the main plate above the lower end of said opening, means for securing said holding-pins at the desired adjustment, an arched guard spanning the lower portion of the opening below the plane of the holdingpins and having its lower end open, and a transverse limiting-rod arranged in rear of:

the main plate between said cheek portions or flanges and adapted to limit the downward and rearward swinging movement of the n1nz zle, the upper edge of said guard being adapted to limit the upward or swinging movement ol the muzzle by contact with the upper side ot' the nose of the animal.

A weaning-muzzle having a body portion struck from a flat sheet of metal and comprising a main plate l, lateral iian ges or cheek portions 2, upward-aligned extensions 2 oi' said flanges or cheek portions,and :rolled guidesleeves arranged upon opposite sides of a longitudinal opening in the main plate and arranged between the upper extremities of the extensions 2 and the lower end of said opening, holding-pins mounted to slide in said guide-sleeves to engage the cartilage of the nose of an animal, means for locking said holding-pins at the desired adjustment, said means including catch-arms secured at their lower ends to the main plate by means of upstruclc sockets, rearwardly-turned pins at the upper ends of said arms extending through openin in the front sides of the guide-sleeves and engaging' perforations or sockets in the holding-pins, said catch-arms operating at in termediate points in guide-loops, a downwardly-tapered arched guard spanning the opening in the main plate below the plane ol the guide-sleeves and adapted to limit the npward-swinging movement of the muzzle, a transverse limiting-rod spanning the lower end of said opening in rear of the plane of the main plate, and spurs carried by the arched guard and said flanges or cheek portions, sul)- stantially as specified.

FRANK S. AlilRIGll'l.

XVitnesses:

B. F. PITMAN, W.,H. liloCANN. 

